Bottle refresh for Scotch Malt Whisky Society

In its first design change in almost a decade, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society has revealed a new look for its bottle, which it claims will emphasise its flavour-based approach to whisky.

While the Society’s green bottle and commitment to single cask whisky remains unchanged, the new look introduces 12 colours to the bottle caps, in a strip on the label and in the age statement. Each colour reflects one of the Society’s 12 whisky flavour profiles, such as Young & Spritely or Old & Dignified.

The Society introduced its 12 flavour profiles in 2014 to help whisky lovers navigate the hundreds of bottles the Society releases each year, and to encourage people to focus more on the flavours within the whisky rather than on perceptions stemming from traditional regional classifications.

Another change is a larger age statement to reflect the fact the Society bottles its whiskies when it feels they are at their best, rather than following traditional ages such as 10, 12 and 18 Years Old.

Finally, the new design includes an update of the logo, which emphasises the shape of a whisky bottle in the Society’s spiritual home at the Vaults in Leith. The Society’s unusual bottle names, which are based on the flavour of the whisky, remain on the label to focus attention on the flavour.

“From our unique bottle names and tasting notes, to not revealing the distillery where the whisky is from, we’ve been celebrating the flavours of whisky for many years and this is the latest step in that journey.

“At the same time, our famous green bottle remains the same, as does our commitment to seeking out exceptional single cask whisky.”